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Google Search updated with ability to remember where you parked

Update: It turns out Google Search/Now on Android is also getting a ton of other new features in addition to the ability to find a parked vehicle (via SearchEngineLand):

  • Offline support: Google Now cards will remain loaded when users lose their internet or mobile connections
  • Indoor maps: in “some malls” Google Now will offer a searchable directory of stores (US + Japan) and then take users to an indoor map of that mall. We don’t know which particular malls but probably the ones available on the US and Japan lists here. In addition Google has individual store maps (probably coming later) for some retailers such as Best Buy, Home Depot, Ikea and others. It doesn’t have everyone store in those chains however.
  • Product search reminders: If you’ve done a previous search for a product online or on a mobile device and you happen to be near a store that carries that product, Google will show you a Now card (kind of like a reminder/notification) about the product.

Google this afternoon has updated its Search app on Android with several new features. The update bumps the app to version 3.4 and has some pretty useful features within it. First off, it adds a Google Now card that offers the ability to automatically detect where you’ve parked and help you find that spot later, a feature that was rumored earlier this month.

The Card is able to navigate you back to the location of your car, and should the initial location given to you by Google be wrong, it can offer other likely locations. The design of the card itself is very simple and includes a map showing where your car is, a text location of your car, how far it is from your current location, and the time that you parked.

Aside from the Parking Card, the update also refreshes the reminders interface and makes it easier to navigate through past reminders. There’s also now a centralized list for nicknames under “Accounts & privacy”.

  • New parking card in Google Now
  • New reminders interface with better arrangement of past reminders
  • Centralized list for nicknames under Accounts & privacy
  • ‘Help’ and ‘Send feedback’ are now ‘Help & feedback’ (one item)

The update is available on the Play Store now, although it is one of Google’s classic staged rollouts, which means it could take days to hit your device. If you don’t feel like waiting, head over to Android Police where they have a download of the APK.

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